


Know who you are

by imaginativemind29



Category: DreamWorks Dragons (Cartoon), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Amnesia, Dubious Consent, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, M/M, Memory Loss, Mind Manipulation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2020-10-03 21:42:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20459924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginativemind29/pseuds/imaginativemind29
Summary: Hiccup and Toothless have been shot down by dragon hunters.Hours later, Hiccup wakes up in a forest with his head hurting badly and no idea who he is or how he got into this situation. When a group of men finds him, he feels relieved to be saved...not knowing that their leader's intentions might not be so sincere after all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my post for the Discord whump prompts. This is the first chapter of a multi chapter story, though I am not sure how often I will be able to update.  
I hope you enjoy this chapter and hope you bear with me for any mistakes. English is not my first language and this was pretty hard for me to write.

He awoke to the sound of breathing that was not his own. It was heaving, broken by the occasional low growl or whimper as if in pain. He listened, trembling and very still, trying to come on terms with what was going on. Though his eyes were open now, he didn't know why, his mind felt clouded in a thick layer of fog and there was a dull sensation spreading from the back of his head. He could sense that something was wrong - very wrong, the intensity of his own heartbeat and the cold sweat spreading on his body told him as much, but it was impossible for him to pinpoint what it was.

_Where am I?_

The sun was high in the sky, somewhere around noon or at least that's what he thought from what he could see through the canopy of leaves above him. Around him the air was filled with the hum and murmur of insects and he blinked several times to adjust his eyes to the light. He was in a forest, but why? It seemed like an uncommon place to fall asleep. Or was that something he used to do? He couldn't remember - his mind empty. Worry snaked through him, but he had only time to wonder for a moment when he heard a rustle to his side, followed by a warbling sound. His chest tightened with fear. "Who...who's there?" He croaked out, his voice barely audible.

Slowly he lifted his head towards the sound, but instantly regretted it. A raw cry split the air and it took him a few moments to realize it was his own as he was thrown into a world of agony. A sharp pain lanced through his head, colorful spots flashing in front of his eyes as his head sagged back down onto the hard ground. Now that he was aware of his pain he couldn't ignore it. His whole body felt like he had taken a beating, every breath he took sent a searing pain through his chest.

_Oh shit_ _._

He tried to calm his breathing, gritted his teeth. He must have broken a rib and there was something wet and hot pooling at the back of his head, he was bleeding as well. He tried flexing his fingers, silently hoping that at least his arms weren't broken too and almost cried out in relief when he found that he could move them. His mind was reeling, desperately trying to find answers as to why or how he ended up like this but came up blank. This didn't make sense. He was lying in the middle of a forest, hurting and he didn't know why. Hel, he couldn't even recall his own name.

His throat closed up and panicked tears filled his eyes but he determinedly blinked them away. There was no time to cry now. No matter how he got into this situation, he knew at least one thing - he had to move. He was not alone. There was the warbling sound again followed by the sound of something heavy being dragged across the ground, steadily coming closer. He had to get out of here before whatever creature this was got to reach him and deemed him worthy to be its next meal.

He bit his lip to keep himself from crying out as he slowly tried to sit up. There was movement next to him and he froze as he caught something black out of the corner of his eye. Within a heartbeat the creature was at his side and he found himself staring up into a pair of big green eyes. His breath snagged in his throat, he was barely able to breathe. He thought he knew what this creature was called - a dragon.

Oh gods, a dragon was looming over him. And a big one at that. This was it, he was going to be eaten - flesh and bone.

"No, no, no...go away..." He uttered, his stomach knotting in dread as the dragon sniffed him all over, probably smelling his blood. Unable to move and in pain as he was, he would be an easy prey.

The dragon made a confused sound, poked his side with its snout but that only hurt his broken rib more. He yelped in pain, but the dragon didn't retreat. If anything it seemed to be more persistent in its actions, darting its tongue out and licking his face. He began to hyperventilate while desperately trying to come up with a way out of this.

Footsteps in the distance. The sound of snapping branches and the distant murmur of voices. Someone was coming. A flash of hope sparked in his heart and without a second thought he screamed as loud as he could.

"HELP! I'm over here!" His panicked shout seemed to startle the dragon, who instantly stopped licking his face to step over his body in a defensive stance as a group of five men appeared between trees. The dragon growled lowly but he kept screaming. "Help me!"

The two men leading the group exchanged a glance. He was certain that he had never seen them before, though there was recognition in the way they regarded him. Maybe they knew who he was, maybe they had been looking for him. The men following behind were armed with bow and arrows but for several moments no one moved as if they didn't know what to make of the sight that unfolded in front of them. His heart was drumming hard against his ribcage. What were they waiting for? Couldn't they see he was in danger? Were they blind?

"Get it off of me! Get it off!" He cried, the sound of his own voice pounding like a hammer inside his head. Despite his pain, he lifted his arms, trying to push the large creature off of him and at that the black dragon made a confused, pitiful sound and to his surprise, it stepped back from him. The dragon's green eyes were wide and if he didn't know better he would've thought that the dragon looked...hurt.

„Nice show Haddock, who do you think you're kidding?" The taller one of the two men snorted but the other man raised his hand, demanding him to be silent.

_Haddock? What's a Haddock? Could this be his name? _

His confusion only grew when the other man took a step forward, eyebrows arched every so slightly and hands folded behind his back. There was a radiance of authority around him, giving the impression that this must be their leader. „You want us to take care of the dragon?" The man spoke and something about his voice had the hair on the back of his neck stand up. It sounded familiar and left him feeling on edge, wary, but whatever his subconscious mind seemed to recall it was out of his reach. It didn't matter though, he needed someone to help him and if this man was willing to do so, he'd gladly accept.

„Yes..." The single word came out quiet and choked. The man nodded, made a gesture with his hand and a sizzling sound filled the air followed by a pained howl. The dragon was hit by three arrows, was instantly beginning to sway and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He was safe. These men had rescued him. "Thanks..." He muttered as the foreign man knelt down beside him, his dark brown eyes regarding him with an expression that was impossible to read.

"You're welcome." He said, then clicked his tongue when his eyes fell on the wound at the back of his head. "Do you know who I am?"

"No."

The man hummed, let his hand run through his brown beard, his forehead wrinkled in thought. "What is the last thing you remember?"

"I...don't know...I...hurt...that's all I know..." He admitted weakly, searching the older man's gaze. There was something else sparkling up in the man's dark eyes, but before he could wonder about it, it was gone again.

"I can see that. You've hit your head pretty hard." The man mused. "You need to see a healer before you lose too much blood."

That sounded reasonable so he nodded, a groan slipping past his lips as a new wave of pain rushed through his head. Dark spots were dancing in front of his eyelids and he could feel the consciousness threatening to leave him again. Still...he had to know. "Do...do you know who I am?" He gritted out through his pain.

"I do."

"Will you help me?"

A small smile tugged at the man's lips as he reached a hand out to lift his head off the ground. He cried out at the searing pain that shot through his whole body like electricity, the man's next words echoing in his mind before he fell back into darkness.

"Yes, my dear, don't worry. I will take good care of you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys :) I know it's been forever since I uploaded this story but now I finally managed to write the next chapter. I have not abandoned it, I just don't know where I want to go with the story yet so updating will probably take its time. Thank you all for reading, it really means a lot to me.

He was surrounded by warmth and softness. It felt good. Safe. But then he moved his head and a jolt of sudden pain shot through him like a lightning bolt.

"Oww..."

He blinked his eyes open. The soft, orange light of candles made its way through his lashes, but his vision was blurred by black splotches. He stretched out his hand. The surface he was lying on was soft.

Biting his lower lip he tried to sit up, but the wave of nausea that hit him at that was so intense that he merely managed to lean over before he emptied his stomach onto the wooden floor. It was mostly bile that left him wheezing and his throat burning once it was over. Feeling weak, he flopped back into his former position and blinked several times.

Now the room became clearer. He shifted his head very carefully, afraid he'd be sick again if he moved too quickly and found that he was lying on a comfortable bed covered in furs. The light was dim, somewhere between day and night - a fire just dying in a brazier in the corner of the room. The wall he faced was decorated with an assortment of shields and weapons and dragon skulls. A shiver ran down his spine.

Nothing around him felt familiar. Where was he?

Everything was blurry, like behind a fog. He tried to recall how he got here, what his name was - but there was nothing.

Just a dull, pounding, ache at the back of his head. He reached up and realized his head was wrapped in tight bandages. Oh. He must have suffered some kind of head injury.

He let his gaze wander down his own body, lifting the blanket a little as he did so and gasped when he found that he was naked aside from the bandages wrapped around his chest. _Holy Thor._

His mind was reeling, his breathing coming in shallow pants that hurt his ribcage, but he couldn't stop. He fought hard not to panic. 

How did he get here? Where _was_ here? Why was he naked? He needed answers. He needed to move. Gritting his teeth through his pain, he tried to get out of the bed, when suddenly a voice startled him.

"Easy there. You shouldn't move so much."

His eyes darted up to see a dark haired man rounding a wooden desk laden with books and parchments. He had not noticed him upon waking up.

"Have you..." he croaked, appalled at how raw his own voice sounded. "...have you been there the whole time?"

The man didn't answer, just smiled as he reached for a pitcher to pour something into a cup.

There was something about that smile that unsettled him and left him feeling on edge, but he couldn't pinpoint the reason why. Unconsciously his hands moved to pull his blanket up higher over his body, to cover himself. How could this man act so nonchalant? Who was he anyway?

"Who are you? Where am I?" He tried to sound demanding, but his voice faltered with nerves.

"Barely awake and already so many questions." A light chuckle left the man's mouth as he sauntered over to him. "I assure you, I will answer them all in time. But first, you need to drink. Here."

He was handed the cup the man had filled and although his mouth was terribly dry, he hesitated.

"Not to worry my dear, it's only water." The man laughed as he sat down at the edge of his bed and watched him take a hesitant sip.

Oh, the coolness down his throat was divine. He could feel the water move all the way down to his belly as he downed it in greedy gulps. His stomach rumbled in protest and the man's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Heat rushed to his cheeks and he instantly lowered his cup, thoroughly embarrassed. He didn't want to push his stomach too far and be sick again. For some reason he felt the need to apologize.

"I'm sorry...for that." He gestured to the floor.

The man hummed in acknowledgement, his gaze on him remaining unwavering and intense. "I expected this to happen when you wake up. I am not an expert by any means, but from what I can tell you've got a serious concussion."

"How...how long was I out for?"

"Two days. For a moment I feared my efforts were for naught." 

For naught? What a strange way of telling him he was glad that he is still alive, but perhaps that's just how that man was - he couldn't remember and it made his throat tighten with held back tears, so he focused on finishing his cup of water. Once he was done the man took it from him and he let himself rest back into the bed. "Can you answer my questions now?"

The man returned to sit on his bed. He flashed him a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Very well then. Ask."

"Alright." He frowned, ignoring the drumming pain in his head for the time being. "What happened?"

"You hit your head during a dragon hunt and lost consciousness. I am glad we found you just on time. The dragon we hunted down almost killed you."

"Dragon hunt?" He shivered as he let his eyes wander from one dragon skull to the other. Did he engage in such things? Absolutely nothing stirred within him. He frowned as his eyes fell back on the dark man. He took him in but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't place him. And yet there was something in his dark brown eyes - something that made his stomach knot and his hands tighten around the blanket.

"Do...do we know each other?"

"Oh yes, we do." A frown marred the man's prominent brow. "It pains me that you don't remember."

"I am sorry...I try to but I can't...my head feels like mush..." He apologized, tears burning behind his eyes and threatening to spill over. It was all too much, he wanted to cry, to scream. He didn't understand, how could his memories be gone - just like that? Why did he know what a dragon was but couldn't even recall his own name? It was as if he didn't exist. A strangled sob left his throat. "I don't know who I am...I..." 

"Sh...calm down." The man's voice was soft, yet commanding and a gasp escaped him as he felt the strong palm of the man's hand enclose around his wrist, surely feeling his rapid pulse under the pressure of his fingers. "Tears won't help. Not here and certainly not with me. I shall help you restore your memory one step at a time, but therefore I need you to trust me, can you do that?"

Well could he? He didn't know...but then again, this man saved him, treated his wounds, put him in a warm bed...that meant they must be some sort of friends, right? Swallowing thickly, he nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment. The man hummed in approval.

"Excellent." He almost purred, "My name is Viggo Grimborn. I am chief of the dragon hunter tribe, and at the moment you are lying in my bed, on my ship. Believe me when I say that I wouldn't allow any other of my hunters to even set a foot into my cabin, only you." 

"So I am one of your hunters?" 

"Oh, you are far more." 

"Are we related?" 

Humor danced in Viggo's eyes, or maybe it was the blasted light in this room, all shadows and dim twilight. "No, my dear Hiccup, we are not related." 

"Hiccup..." He felt breathless as he let the name roll from his tongue. "Hiccup...that's my name?" 

"Yes." Viggo observed him intently. "Does your name trigger any memories?" 

Hiccup closed his eyes for a moment, his heart pounding so hard that he was sure Viggo would be able to hear it as he strained his mind to catch even the tiniest fragment of a memory, but it was no use, all it did was make his head ache more. A despairing noise escaped him. "No..."

Viggo hummed, as if Hiccup only confirmed what he already knew. He patted Hiccup's hand with his own. "Do not despair, my dear. You need to be patient. Once you are back on your feet, we shall rebuild Hiccup together and you'll be better than new." 

Together? 

Surprised, Hiccup opened his eyes and found himself struck by the intensity in Viggo's dark brown ones. Suddenly he felt very aware of the man's proximity, of the way his hand still lingered on his own, of the fact that only a blanket shielded his naked body from Viggo's eyes. And he was lying in _his_ bed. Heat rushed to Hiccup's cheeks all the way up to his ears as realization hit him that Viggo had seen him naked. 

"Uh...Viggo, where are my clothes?" He found himself stammering. 

"I burned them. They were covered in dragon saliva - which is, frankly, disgusting." Viggo said, matter of fact. 

"Sounds reasonable, I mean it would have been crazy to just _wash_ them." Hiccup drew his hand back from Viggo's grasp, not at all happy that he destroyed the only possessions he could remember. What if the smell or feel of his clothes would have triggered a memory? 

Viggo laughed out loud as he patted Hiccup's thigh above the blanket. "I am glad to see your wit is still intact, I would have dearly missed it. But there is no need to be upset, there are several sets of clothing stored for you just in the trunk right here." He gestured to a wooden trunk at the end of the bed. Hiccup couldn't see it but his eyes widened at the revelation that he stored his clothes in Viggo's cabin. So did that mean...could it possibly be, that it was also his cabin? He bit his lower lip for a moment before he found the courage to speak. 

"So...uh...when we are not related, but you say I am more than one of your hunters ...what is it you mean?" 

A small, secretive smile tugged at Viggo's lips. "Enough with the questions for now. You need to rest and I got important matters to attend to." He stood and Hiccup pouted as disappointment sagged through him that Viggo refused to answer. The older man chuckled. "Don't give me that look, my boy. We shall have quite the time together, I promise. Now sleep, you need it."

With that he turned to leave him alone and although Hiccup didn't want to rest, his eyes were already fluttering, the pounding in his head becoming more persistent. Just as Viggo opened the door, something pushed to the surface in Hiccup's mind. 

"Viggo...wait..." 

The man stopped and turned to face him. 

"The dragon...is it...dead?"

"Yes. You asked me to shoot it down." 

"Oh..." Hiccup's eyes fell closed, a heavy weight settling on his heart. He asked Viggo to kill the dragon...he couldn't remember but it must be true...he was part of dragon hunters so it only made sense. A silent tear ran down his cheek as he drifted back into unconsciousness and in his dream he was soaring through the skies on a black cloud, feeling completely weightless and free. 

\------------

Ryker was sitting with his feet crossed on the table in front of the dragon cages, emptying his second mug of ale when Viggo strode through the door. He drew his brows up and harrumphed before he crossed the room to one cell in particular. Ryker paused just long enough to follow his younger brother with his eyes before he brought his attention back to his drink. 

"I see you have yet to feed the dragon." Viggo tapped his foot against an untouched barrel of fish. "There will be no more ale for you when you fail your chores." 

Ryker fought the urge to roll his eyes. "You try your luck," he scoffed over his mug "Damn beast threw a fit and knocked Asmund out. Had to sedate it again. If it was for me I would just kill it and sell its hide to the highest bidder." 

"Come now, big brother. Toothless here is our guest. Only the gods can measure how valuable he'll prove to us. We must treat him well, keep him happy." Viggo let his hand run over his beard in thought. "However, he cannot stay here. Hiccup is conscious and, as I expected, still suffering severe amnesia. He has no idea who he is. I won't risk his dragon triggering any unwanted memories." He chuckled lightly to himself, the sound of it had Ryker furrow his brows. 

"I don't like this." he huffed, "You've got your revenge Viggo. The boy and the damn Night Fury are ours, now kill him and be done with it."

"And waste such a wonderful opportunity?" Viggo's eyes held a malicious glimmer as he stepped over to where he sat and Ryker lowered his mug. "Hiccup's mind is blank - it's mine to mold and form as I please. Come brother, where's your sense for a good game - a new challenge, hm?" He tutted as he took the mug from Ryker's hand and spilled the liquid onto the floor. "Thank Thor he blessed you with strength of body. Now take Hiccup's clothes and do as I told you." 

Ryker lowered his feet from the table and growled in annoyance. He didn't like being bossed around by Viggo, but he knew better than to retort when his little brother was in a mood. And this was definitely a mood - Viggo had found a new toy and he would do anything to keep it. They better all played along if they liked to keep their heads on their shoulders. 

"You believe they'll buy it?" he huffed as he got up, not liking how Viggo towered over him. 

Viggo hummed to himself and closed the distance between them to brush invisible dust from his brother's armour. "Make them buy it. Do what you must. As far as the dragon riders are concerned Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the III is dead."


End file.
